A few weeks ago I got a very exciting phone call while I was at work, and it’s been a hell of a time keeping mum (and keeping Mum mum) about it since! The call was from Adrian Hatwell, the Editor of the D-Photo magazine, who told me that I had topped the Nature category of the D-Photo Sigma Amateur Photographer of the Year Awards, and that my image had also been chosen as the overall winner of the competition. The image in question is one from my trip to South Africa earlier this year, which saw me fling myself into using Manual Mode with pleasing results. To have a photo recognised in such a large competition is extremely rewarding. I have been learning a lot over the past few years, and while I have a long way to go, this makes me feel that I’m going in the right direction.

I have a few people to thank for this – most notably my parents of course. Thank you for taking me to South Africa, not only this time, but throughout my childhood, and inspiring my love of wildlife and photography. To Dad, a thanks for guidance, knowledge, and many hours spent chasing the light – here’s to many more. Also, thanks for the inspiration of your Birds on White series. To Mum, thank you for urging me to enter all the (good) competitions I can find, because you never know who will like your images.

Finally, thanks to D-Photo, Sigma, and the judges, I will have some new gear to play with soon, which is exciting!

The magazine is available through Zinio and from the D-Photo website (link in cover image above), as well as anywhere in New Zealand that sells magazines.

Dad has also blogged about this, so if you want to see photos of me from when I was a wee lass back in 2004, go and check that out.